Image transferring and sheet separating device and image forming apparatus including the same

Abstract

An image transferring and sheet separating device of the present invention includes a belt facing an image carrier. The belt conveys a sheet via a nip between it and the image carrier to thereby transfer a toner image formed on the image carrier to the sheet by being applied with a bias and then separates the sheet from the sheet. The belt contains a filler having a grain size of 0.5% to 5% of the thickness of said belt. The belt is driven with circumferential length 1% to 7% greater than circumferential length in an unloaded condition.

What is claimed is:  
     
       1. In an image transferring and sheet separating device comprising a belt facing an image carrier and conveying a recording medium via a nip between said belt and said image carrier to thereby transfer a toner image formed on said image carrier to said recording medium with a bias and then separate said recording medium from said image carrier, said belt contains a filler having a grain size of 0.5 % to 5 % of a thickness of said belt, and 
       said belt is driven with a circumferential length 1% to 7% greater than a circumferential length in an unloaded condition.  
     
     
       2. The device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said belt is 200 μm to 1,000 μm thick. 
     
     
       3. The device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein said belt contains polychloroprene rubber. 
     
     
       4. The device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein a filler content of said belt is between 5 wt % and 25 wt % of an entirety of said belt. 
     
     
       5. The device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the filler of said belt comprises a silicon-containing compound. 
     
     
       6. The device as claimed in  claim 5 , wherein the silicon-containing compound comprises synthetic silicic acid. 
     
     
       7. The device as claimed in  claim 1 , wherein the filler of the belt comprises carbon. 
     
     
       8. The device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein the carbon has a mean grain size of 0.5% or less of a thickness of said belt. 
     
     
       9. The device as claimed in  claim 7 , wherein a content of the carbon is 5 wt % to 25 wt % of an entirety of said belt. 
     
     
       10. In an image forming apparatus comprising an image transferring and sheet separating device including a belt facing an image carrier and conveying a recording medium via a nip between said belt and said image carrier to thereby transfer a toner image formed on said image carrier to said recording medium with a bias and then separate said recording medium from said image carrier, said belt contains a filler having a grain size of 0.5% to 5% of a thickness of said belt, and 
       said belt is driven with a circumferential length 1% to 7% greater than a circumferential length in an unloaded condition.  
     
     
       11. The apparatus as claimed in  claim 10 , wherein said apparatus has a resolution of 1,000 dpi or above. 
     
     
       12. In an image transferring and sheet separating device including a belt facing an image carrier and conveying a recording medium via a nip between said belt and said image carrier to thereby transfer a toner image formed on said image carrier to said recording medium with a bias and then separate said recording medium from said image carrier, a maximum temperature which said belt reaches is 55° C. or below, and 
       said belt contains an organic additive having an endothermic peak at 58° C. to 80° C.  
     
     
       13. The device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein the organic additive comprises wax. 
     
     
       14. The device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a content of the organic additive is 0.5 wt % to 20 wt % of an entirety of said belt. 
     
     
       15. The device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein a heat value of said belt at 58° C. to 80° C., as measured by a differential scanning calorimeter, is 5 J/g to 40 J/g. 
     
     
       16. The device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said belt contains polychloroprene rubber. 
     
     
       17. The device as claimed in  claim 12 , wherein said belt is bent with a radius of curvature of 10 mm or below. 
     
     
       18. In an image forming apparatus comprising an image transferring and sheet separating device including a belt facing an image carrier and conveying a recording medium via a nip between said belt and said image carrier to thereby transfer a toner image formed on said image carrier to said recording medium with a bias and then separate said recording medium from said image carrier, a maximum temperature which said belt reaches is 55° C. or below, and said belt contains an organic additive having an endothermic peak at 58° C. to 80° C.